1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to material delivery systems for agricultural products, including fertilizers, nutrients, crop protection chemicals, biologicals, plant growth regulators; and, more particularly to material dispensing systems using distributed processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In markets requiring the usage of chemicals, often hazardous substances, the Environmental Protection Agency and other regulatory bodies are imposing stricter regulations on the transportation, handling, dispersion, disposal, and reporting of actual usage of chemicals. These regulations, along with public health concerns, have generated a need for products that address these issues dealing with proper chemical handling.
To reduce the quantity of chemicals handled, the concentration of the chemical, as applied, has been increasing. This has raised the cost of chemicals per unit weight and has also required more accurate dispensing systems. For example, typical existing systems for agricultural product dispensing use a mechanical chain driven dispenser. Normal wear and tear on these mechanical dispensers can alter the rate of product applied by as much as 15%. For one typical chemical, Force®, a pyrethroid type insecticide by Syngenta Crop Protection, an over-application rate of 15% can increase the cost of the insecticide by $1500 over 500 acres and may contribute or cause unwanted crop response, such as plant phytotoxicity or unregistered amounts of pesticide residues in or on the crop.
Since many of the current agricultural product systems are mechanical systems, any record keeping and reporting must generally be kept manually.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in many present material delivery systems. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided, including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.
Over the past decade, planting and chemical dispensing systems for dispensing seed and insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, nutrients, plant growth regulators, or fertilizers, have made the handling of seed and chemical liquids or granules less hazardous to the agricultural worker by providing closed container systems, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,848 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,255, incorporated by reference herein and the SmartBox® Dispensing System (hereinafter “SmartBox Dispensing System”), marketed by AMVAC Chemical Corporation, a division of American Vanguard Corporation. Briefly, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,848, access to and from a container in a closed container system is available through a single opening in the bottom wall of the container, offering distinct advantages over an open-top, non-removable container design in an open container system.
Closed container systems provide a removable container, which is pre-filled with the chemical or toxic materials such as insecticides, fertilizers, herbicides and other pesticides; or other agricultural products, thereby eliminating the need to open and pour bags of chemical products into storage hoppers. Since the closed container system is largely not open to the air, agricultural workers have less opportunity to come into contact with the chemical products, thereby reducing skin and inhalation exposure to the hazardous chemicals.
Currently, there is an industry program to double corn yields in 20 years through use of new technology. At the present time, most products that are applied at planting are insecticides for the treatment of nematodes, and soil insects, such as corn rootworm, and secondary insect pests; herbicides for the control of weeds in the seed zone; fungicides for the control of diseases and improving plant health; nutrients for improving plant health, etc. There is research being conducted for other products such as biological products, fertility products, fungicides, micro-nutrients, growth stimulants, the new area of RNA silencing or interference gene technology, etc.
Additionally, a steady decline in the overall honeybee population year to year is a growing problem worldwide. It has been reported that the air vacuum planters exhaust the insecticide dust from the treated seed thereby affecting the bee population. This effect on non-target species could be potentially reduced in a closed system.
Today, most granular products for pest control at planting time are dispensed at a rate above three ounces per thousand feet of row. Bigger planters and distribution issues make it desirable for a more concentrated product to be applied at lower rates. Because of application issues, special techniques and special equipment are required to provide proper application so these granular products can perform effectively. As will be disclosed below, the present invention addresses these needs.
Conventional systems, for granule placement in-furrow, use a plastic hose and metal bracket. Wind and side hills may affect product placement. Because they are placed behind the depth wheels the brackets are constantly being misaligned by coming into contact with crop residue, clods, and other field issues such as ditches and furrows. Also, since the furrow closure is determined by soil conditions, the furrow may be closed by the time the chemical tube applies the chemical to the furrow. Normally product is placed behind the depth wheels in such a manner that the wind can blow the product off target under windy conditions prevalent during planting time. With conventional banding equipment, the product is placed on the downhill side of the row on side hills. OEM banding equipment is often times too wide and offers no protection from the wind, which may not let the product be placed in the desired application zone.